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5
Review of Reading Explorer 2
MacIntyre, P. (2009). Reading Explorer 2. Boston: Heinle.
Denisse M. Hinojosa
Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education Program
Michigan State University
hinojo18@msu.edu
Reading comprehension is described by
Goodman as an active process of
comprehending [where] students need to
be taught strategies to read more
efficiently (e.g., guess from context, define
expectations, make inferences about the
text, skim ahead to fill in the context, etc.
(cited in Grabe, 1991, p. 377). It is obvious
that the author, Paul MacIntyre, considered
these strategies when designing the
reading activities for his textbook, Reading
Explorer 2. For readers to become fluent,
they need to interact with the text
(Alyousef, 2005). Furthermore, for readers
to be effective, they have to be able to
combine information from the text and
from previous knowledge in order to be
able to build meaning and to use different
strategies when facing problems. This
textbook provides learners with the
necessary tools to become both effective
and skillful readers. The author also
considered learners previous knowledge
to be interwoven with the text in the
process of making meaning (Anderson,
2003). All these features were highly
considered by Paul MacIntyre when
writing this textbook. Designed to develop
reading skills, Reading Explorer 2 presents
a wide variety of interesting thematic
passages allowing the learner to master
reading comprehension using authentic
content. At the same time, the wide variety
of activities allows learners to activate
MSU Working Papers in SLS 2014, Vol.
Review of Reading Explorer 2
schemata, which makes it easier to
understand unknown reading passages.
Finally, these activities enable learners to
build vocabulary, which is presented in
context.
Reading Explorer is a six-level
series of intensive reading texts and
Reading Explorer 2 is one level in that
series. It uses articles from National
Geographic Magazine to promote reading
comprehension and to develop the
vocabulary skills of ESL young adults and
adult learners. The length of the reading
passages, vocabulary presented, level of
difficulty of texts, and comprehension
questions make Reading Explorer 2 a
textbook suitable for learners whose
proficiency ranges from upper-basic to
low-intermediate. The textbook contains
twelve units, and each unit has two reading
passages whose topics are related. For
instance, in lesson 4A students read about
the Grand Central Terminal in
Manhattan, and in lesson 4B they read
about Mumbai: City of Dreams.
The textbook begins with an
Explore the World section, which presents
the topics that are going to be explored. In
these two pages, students can see the world
map and the exact location where the
events described in the reading passages
take place. At the end of each unit there is
an interactive CD-ROM video activity
section called Explore More which
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reviews the vocabulary learned in the unit.
In the first Explore More section of the
book, the author introduces a preview
activity about Greek Olives. Learners
are asked to decide if the statements are
true or false based on their previous
knowledge. After doing so, they can check
their answers as they watch a video.
Finally, learners have to complete a
summary using vocabulary from presented
to them.
After every three units there is a
Review section that reinforces the
vocabulary presented. For example,
Review 2 has two sections; in section A
there is a crossword, and in section B
students are required to complete notes the
with vocabulary used on preceeding pages.
Following the Review, there is a section
called World Heritage Spotlight containing
readings about UNESCOs World Heritage
sites and tackling world issues. One World
Heritage Spotlight called Underwater
Wonders describes the Great Barrier Reef
in Queensland, Australia. Another World
Heritage Spotlight introduces one of the
United States of Americas National Parks,
The Grand Canyon.
The reading passages contain
meaningful and interesting L2 realia,
allowing learners to have a better
understanding of the world we live in,
explore different cultures around the globe,
learn science facts, while simultaneously
reflecting on social issues. By providing
authentic readings, the textbook allows
learners to build language competence,
progress in their reading ability, become
more independent in their studies, acquire
cultural knowledge, and develop
confidence and motivation to carry on
learning (Hedge, 2003, pp. 204-205).
Reading Explorer 2 comes with: a
teachers manual, text/audio CD package,
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Review of Reading Explorer 2
classroom audio CD, assessment CD-Rom
with Exam View Pro test-generating
software, and also quizzes and activities
which can be accessed at a supplementary
website.
Each unit begins with a warm-up
activity, which is commendable because
according to Nation (2009), warm-up
activities activate learners prior
knowledge and get students interested in
the topic. For instance, the warm-up
activity of Unit 8A encourages students to
discuss some great explorers from history
and the places these explorers visited.
Then the learners are directed to imagine
themselves as explorers. Afterwards they
have the opportunity to discuss with their
groups their imaginary role of being an
explorer. Activities for the texts are
offered pre-, during, and post reading. It
allows learners to interact dynamically
with the text and later leads them to
become fluent readers (Alyousef, 2005).
The pre-reading activities facilitate
comprehension by activating learners
schemata, encouraging readers to make
predictions, and at the same time
motivating them (Alyousef, 2005; Chen &
Graves, 1998; Drucker, 2003). For
example, to activate learners schemata, in
Unit 6A the book requires learners to
correct true or false statements. To do so,
learners need to look at the map at the top
of the page, and then read the first four
sentences of the text. After that, students
are required to make predictions by
reading the title, headings, and captions,
and by looking at the photos. Another
example is found in Unit 9B, where
learners are asked to look at the photos and
captions, and compare weddings in Italy,
India, and Alaska, USA with weddings in
their own countries. Next, the book asks
learners to skim for the main idea of the
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text by looking at the title, photos, and
captions. Comprehension is facilitated
when schemata are introduced explicitly
because this helps activate the relevant
schema. According to schema theory, in
order for learners to comprehend a text,
there must exist an interaction between the
reader's background knowledge and the
text itself (Drucker, 2003). When learners
schema is activated during the pre-reading
activities, they are able to recognize the
knowledge they already have about the
topic of a text, which simultaneously
provides context (Alyousef, 2005;
Drucker, 2003).
The during- and post-reading
exercises are designed for students to
develop reading strategies which enable
learners to reason, think critically, and
reflect on what they are doing while
reading. This is achieved when students
work through various tasks, such as
predicting, skimming, making inferences,
raising reference questions, and scanning.
Other examples include making references
between sentences and putting events in
order (Dole, Dufft, Roehler, & Pearson,
1991). One example is found in unit 4A,
where students have to answer five
multiple choice questions. There are two
questions regarding details, one inference,
one vocabulary, and one purpose question.
After that, learners are required to
complete a cloze section based on the
Grand Central Terminal reading passage.
Additionally, the author provided different
types of questions, written on the left side
of each one. By doing so, learners are able
to recognize the questions they are to
answer. For example, in Unit 6A, the
multiple-choice questions include the
following types: gist, detail, inference, and
main idea, followed by a completion
exercise. In Unit 12 A, the types of
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Review of Reading Explorer 2
questions are gist, inference, detail,
vocabulary, and sequence.
Throughout the textbook, learners
are exposed to a variety of reading
passages accompanied by full color images
from the National Geographic Magazine.
These images are highly engaging and
help get the readers interest as well as
develop visual literacy (Avgerinou &
Ericson, 1997; Chalin, 1998).
Vocabulary building is a large
focus in Reading Explorer 2, and
vocabulary is presented in context. Words
of related meaning are not presented
together. Through the entire textbook, the
author used the criteria of usefulness and
normal use. High-frequency words are
presented as they occur in normal
situations. This, helps students avoid
interference, and eases vocabulary learning
(Nation, 2000). It does not mean that lower
frequency words are not considered; on the
contrary, they are glossed in footnotes in
every text. In Unit 9B, the words nomads,
mosque, fierce, cousin, and warrior are
presented. Unit 10B allows learners to get
familiarized with the words fjord, harpoon,
scowls, and gem.
Along the reading passages, key
words are found in red; this makes learners
aware of the new vocabulary that is being
introduced. At the end of every unit, there
is a Vocabulary Practice section in which
the author provided various exercises
giving students the opportunity to learn
vocabulary in context. For example,
learners need to place words in context and
provide definitions; they also have to
match words with their definitions and
complete sentences and paragraphs with
the words provided. Additional
vocabulary practice is also found in the
four Review sections and in the
Vocabulary Building sections.
81
To help learners improve their
vocabulary, the author included
vocabulary building boxes, which aim to
highlight and draw readers attention to
common collocations, affixes, and usage to
promote their acquisition (Dole et al.,
1991). For instance, by introducing the
collocation of the verb obtain in Unit 7
B, learners are aware that obtain is
placed after an adjective and an infinitive;
at the same time it could be placed before
a noun. Another example is introduced in
Unit 10B, in which students learn about
the usage of the informal expression Im
starving! The way the author presents
these vocabulary building boxes helps
learners find explicit explanation of useful
collocations and constructions that help
them increase their vocabulary. The
Reading Explorer 2 interactive CD-ROM
helps learners improve their reading skills,
and concurrently reinforces learning both
high-frequency and low-frequency words.
The CD-ROM contains twelve video clips
from National Geographic Digital Media.
For instance, in Unit 2 the video is called
Mans Best Friend, and in Unit 11 learners
can watch a video called Kenya Butterflies.
These short videos, which motivate
students and aid in visual learning, are
related to the topics covered in every unit
of the book. Additionally this multimedia
tool provides twenty-four additional
reading passages for learners to continue
practicing their reading skills and forty-
eight vocabulary activities with self-
scoring exercises, which is ideal for
learners to review the vocabulary they
have learned throughout the units. The
CD-ROM enables learners to have extra
language support and to practice in class or
at home.
Reading Explorer 2 is a textbook
suitable for learners who intend to focus
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Review of Reading Explorer 2
on vocabulary and academic reading in
intensive reading courses because it helps
students increase the use of learning
strategies throughout the units. This is a
key element which enhances language
acquisition. I strongly recommend Reading
Explorer 2 to ESL instructors who seek to
promote more active readers through
authentic reading materials. Reading
Explorer 2 provides meaningful context,
enhancing readers knowledge in various
topics of interest. This is an excellent
textbook for promoting learners
independence and autonomy through
incorporating essential reading skills and
vocabulary learning tasks. It helps students
develop fluency and effective reading
comprehension skills, as well as achieve
lexical competence.
References
Alyousef, H. S. (2005, September).
Teaching reading comprehension to
ESL/EFL learners. The Reading
Matrix, 5(2), 143-154. Retrieved from:
http://www.readingmatrix.com/articles/
alyousef/article.pdf
Anderson, N. (2003). Reading. In D.
Nunan, (Ed), Practical English
language teaching (pp. 67-86).
London: McGraw-Hill Companies.
Avgerinou, M. & Ericson, J. (1997). A
review of the concept of visual
literacy. British Journal of Educational
Technology, 28(4), 280-291. doi:
10.1111/1467-8535.00035
Chanlin, L. (1998). Animation to teach
students of different knowledge levels.
Journal of Instructional Psychology,
25(3), 166-175. Retrieved from:
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1998-
03423-002
Chen, H.S., & Graves, M.F. (1998).
Previewing challenging reading
82
selections for ESL students. Journal of
Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 41(7),
570-572.
Dole, J.A., Dufft, G.G., Roehler, L.R., &
Pearson, P.D. (1991, January 1).
Moving from the old to the new:
Research on reading comprehension
instruction. Review of Educational
Research, 61(2), 239-264. doi:
10.3102/00346543061002239
Drucker, M.J. (2003, September). What
teachers should know about ESL
learners. The Reading Teacher, 57(1),
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22-29. URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/20205312
Grabe, W. (1991). Current developments
in second language reading research.
TESOL Quarterly, 25(3), 375-406. doi:
10.2307/3586977
Hedge, T. (2003). Teaching & learning in
the language classroom. UK: OUP.
Nation, P. (2000). Learning vocabulary in
lexical sets: Dangers and guidelines.
TESOL Journal, 9(2), 610. doi:
10.1002/j.1949-3533.2000.tb00239.x